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Saturday, December 31, 2011

" A bus driver died in a hospital Sunday after becoming infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, in the southern city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, local authorities said.

The 39-year-old man surnamed Chen died of multiple organ failures at 1 p.m., the Department of Health of Guangdong said in a statement.

Chen was hospitalized for fever on Dec. 21 and tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Bao'an District of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, the department said.

The department also said that during the previous month prior to his fever, he had no direct contact with poultry and had not traveled out of the city.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on Dec. 22 suspended supplies of live poultry to Hong Kong after a dead chicken tested positive in Hong Kong for the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.

The AQSIQ said it would maintain in close contact and work together with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to jointly step up measures to control the epidemic."

" BEIJING: A 39-year-old man is
in critical condition after testing positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus
in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, state media reported Saturday quoting local
health authorities.

The city borders Hong Kong, which has culled
thousands of chickens and ordered a suspension of live poultry imports from
China after three birds tested positive with the strain in
mid-December.

The man, a bus driver surnamed Chen, was hospitalised with
a fever on December 21 and tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus in
Shenzhen's Bao'an district, the provincial health department said, according to
Xinhua news agency.

He remains in a critical condition and is receiving
emergency treatment, the report said, adding that the man had apparently had no
direct contact with poultry in the month before he was taken ill nor had he left
the city.

Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have been working closely
together since December 21 after live poultry supplies were suspended to the
glitzy financial hub following the discovery of infected birds."

" Encephalitis has claimed the lives of two children, taking the death toll in the viral infection in eastern Uttar Pradesh to 643 this year.
The two children died in the last two days, Additional director (health) Diwakar Prasad today said.
As many as 82 people suffering from encephalitis are undergoing treatment in various government hospitals in Basti and Gorakhpur, he said.
With the fresh deaths, the toll in the viral infection in eastern Uttar Pradesh has climbed to 643 this year."

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health received notification from the Ministry of Health (MoH) tonight (December 30) concerning a suspected human case of influenza A (H5N1) in Shenzhen.

A CHP spokesman said the patient was a 39-year-old man living in Shenzhen. He developed symptoms on December 21 and was admitted to a hospital on December 25 because of severe pneumonia. He is now in critical condition. The man had no travel history or contact with poultry before the onset of symptoms.

Preliminary laboratory tests on the patient's specimen by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province yielded positive result for H5N1.

The CHP is maintaining close liaison with the Guangdong Department of Health to obtain more information on the case. We will heighten our vigilance and continue to maintain stringent port health measures in connection with this development, the spokesman said."

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Via CBS News, excerpt :
" An Oklahoma infant has been sickened by a rare Cronobacter sakazakii infection
that's sometimes linked to tainted infant formula. Health officials say the baby
from Tulsa County - the third child to be infected by the bacteria this month -
has fully recovered."

" The number of reported cases of a novel swine influenza virus has risen to 12 since July, encompassing 5 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus includes a gene from the human pandemic strain and affects mostly children.

The agency is taking the influenza newcomer seriously, urging public health departments, hospitals, and clinicians engaged in influenza surveillance to consider the possibility of the virus in patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI).

The infections in question involve a variant of the A(H3N2) virus that circulates among pigs. It contains a gene from the pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) virus that codes for matrix proteins found in the viral shell.

The novel virus is worrisome enough that the CDC, the World Health Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health have dubbed it A(H3N2)v. The "v," which stands for "variant," distinguishes the novel virus from the seasonal A(H3N2) virus. The 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine is designed to protect against this strain, the 2009 pandemic strain, and an influenza B strain.

In 3 of the 5 states where the A(H3N2)v virus has surfaced — Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maine — patients became infected after direct or indirect contact with pigs. In Iowa and West Virginia, the other 2 states, the evidence suggests that the virus spread from human to human on a limited basis.

The CDC has not found evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus, but "all influenza viruses have the capacity to change, and it's possible this virus may become widespread," the agency states on its Web site.

One seeming bit of good news is that, so far, the A(H3N2)v virus causes illnesses that are generally no worse than those triggered by the seasonal influenza virus. Three of the 12 patients were hospitalized, but they and all the others recovered.

However, there is a bad-news chaser: The seasonal influenza vaccine for 2011-2012 is unlikely to protect people from the A(H3N2)v virus, the CDC reports. In addition, limited serologic studies indicate that young children have little preexisting immunity, although older children and adults may have limited immunity."

" THREE confirmed dengue fever cases in Lautoka has prompted the city council to take new measures by conducting insecticide spraying in the city.

Council acting Health Services director Rouhit Karan Singh said with the presence of the virus and high density of the adult mosquito population, the council with the assistance of the World Health Organisation and Health Ministry started motorised spraying last week.

Mr Singh said the spraying was carried out early in the morning and late in the afternoon depending on the weather.

"This is the best time to counter dengue species mosquitoes," he said.

He urged Lautoka residents to take precautionary measures during the spraying period."

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

" Ministry of Health Spokesperson Dr. Kamoto Mbewe says his Ministry is still
waiting for a detailed report on the reported outbreak of Cholera in Mufurila
District on the Copperbelt.

Dr. Mbewe says officials are on the ground to investigate the outbreak in the
area and that members of the public will be availed with detailed information
once a full report is submitted to the Ministry.

He told ZANIS in Lusaka on Tuesday that people of Mupambe Township in
Mufurila should not panic because health personnel are doing everything possible
to contain any possible outbreak of the disease.

Dr. Mbewe also warned members of the public across the country to ensure that
they boil their drinking water before using to avoid infection.

It has
been reported that over 300 cases of diarrhoeal diseases have been recorded in
Mufulira's Mupambe Township following the contamination of water last week."

" On Dec. 26, Jeju government announced that the Animal, Plant and Fisheries
Quarantine and Inspection Agency (QIA) found pigs infected with Influenza A
virus (H1N1) at a farm located in Anseong village, Daejeong, Seogwipo
City.

The virus is known to cause fever and flu symptoms in pigs. And it
can be treated within a week.

The QIA confirmed that at the moment the
extent of the infection is not severe.

The farm currently raises about
450 pigs, but the authorities have decided not to conduct a mass cull.

However, to prevent contagion, the provincial government ordered a
three-week restriction on movement to and from the farm.

During this
time, the status of the animals will be checked weekly, and if no other symptoms
are found, the restriction order will be lifted."

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 28) called on the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene to prevent upper respiratory tract infection (URI).

The appeal followed the CHP's investigation into a URI outbreak at a residential care home for the elderly in Southern District involving 16 residents aged from 68 to 98 and four staff members.

The investigation revealed that the affected persons, comprising four males and 16 females, developed URI symptoms including fever, cough and runny nose since December 19. One of them required hospitalisation. All the affected are in a stable condition.

Staff of the CHP conducted site visit and provided health advice to the institution. It was put under medical surveillance."

Friday, December 23, 2011

" Following is the translation of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media stand-up session after attending the meeting of the Steering Committee on Avian Influenza today (December 23):

I have just convened the second meeting of the Steering Committee on Avian Influenza (AI) to take stock of follow-up actions arising from the findings of a chicken carcass sample from the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market (the Wholesale Poultry Market), which was tested positive for H5N1 AI virus on December 20. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), and the Hospital Authority.

The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and relevant departments have been actively pursuing measures to prevent and control AI over the past few days. I would like to highlight some major developments:

First, AFCD successfully completed a culling operation at the Wholesale Poultry Market on December 21. A total of 19 451 poultry was destroyed. All 180 samples of live poultry taken by AFCD before the culling were all tested negative for H5 AI virus.

Second, AFCD completed inspections on all 30 chicken farms in Hong Kong yesterday to ensure farmers have strictly complied with bio-security and environmental hygiene requirements. No abnormality with regard to the chickens has been detected. AFCD has also tested about 900 samples collected from local farms and all were found negative for H5 AI virus, indicating normal health conditions of local chickens.

Import and local supply of live poultry are suspended for 21 days due to this incident. AFCD will carry out two more rounds of inspections on all local farms before January 12, 2012 and collect samples for AI tests. It has requested all farms to notify the department immediately of any case of sick or dead poultry. In the past few days, with the Mainland authorities' co-operation, we have stepped up inspection on chilled chickens. All 150 samples tested by the Centre for Food Safety so far are satisfactory."

" Kapiri Mposhi district has recorded an increase in cases of rabies this year mostly resulting from several ordinary dog bites.

The district has recorded 42 cases of rabies involving humans out of 243 cases of ordinary dog bites this year alone.

This came to light during an emergency meeting called by Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Urgent Mazuba to devise strategies aimed at mitigating the problem.
Mr. Mazuba summoned officers from the District Health Office (DHO),Veterinary Department, the Council and the Police Service."

" Three patients have been diagnosed with C. difficile in a Cape Breton hospital.

The Cape Breton District Health Authority is restricting visitors to the Intermediate Care Unit at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital because of an outbreak of the hospital-acquired infection, Clostridium difficile."

" Christchurch has continued to be shaken by aftershocks - one as large as six on the Richter scale - hours after the initial earthquake at 1.58pm on Friday afternoon.

The quakes have injured dozens of people although none seriously. Fewer than 20 people have been hospitalised. The initial 5.8 earthquake struck at 1.58pm on Friday and has been followed by a swarm of aftershocks.

A 6-magnitude tremor hit at 3.18pm and another measuring 5 at 4.50pm.

All have been centred in Pegasus Bay between 10 and 20 kilometres east of Christchurch at depths as shallow as 6km.

While the quakes have been under the sea, specialists say there is no tsunami threat.

" A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (December 23) that the dead Oriental magpie robin found in Tin Shui Wai on December 17 was confirmed to be H5N1-positive after a series of laboratory tests.

The bird's carcass was found and collected at Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long), 5 Tin Wu Road, Tin Shui Wai, on December 17. The Oriental magpie robin is a common resident bird in Hong Kong.

The AFCD will continue to conduct inspections of poultry farms to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented.

" Large earthquakes have rattled Christchurch residents just two days from Christmas, a devastating reminder of the blow the city was dealt in February.

Dozens of people received minor injuries and three unoccupied buildings collapsed when two major quakes, measuring 5.8 and 6.0, hit the city on Friday afternoon.

They were centred offshore, between 10km and 20km east of the city, at depths between 6km and 10km, according to GNS Science.

Two lesser ones measured 5.3 and 5.0.

The swarm of quakes continued into the evening, adding stress for already quake-weary locals.

Last-minute Christmas shopping and travel was abandoned after widespread evacuations of shopping malls, buildings and Christchurch Airport, and roads around the city became congested as people rushed to get home.

Civil Defence was advising people not to travel unless it was essential, with restricted bus services operating to help people get home.

The CBD red zone, devastated by February's quake which killed 182, had shut down, and while the ChristChurch Cathedral suffered more damage on Friday, other central city buildings had held up well, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton said.

Police warned people to stay away from suburbs in the hills, as slips and rocks crashed down following the quakes.

The eastern suburbs were again hit by significant liquefaction and flooding, which had seen many homes declared unsafe to live in back in February."

" The State Health Society, Bihar, has issued an advisory to civil surgeons to
keep a tab on unusual deaths of birds in their respective districts following
the outbreak of avian influenza in Jharkhand.

According to sources in the society, the step has been
taken as hundreds of crows have died in Jharkhand because of avian influenza
since November.

“The crows first started dying mysteriously in
Jam-shedpur district. This was followed by deaths in Ranchi, Bokaro, Khunti,
Sahebganj and other districts of Jharkhand. We have asked civil surgeons to be
alert and keep an eye on any such incident in our state. Letters have been
issued to them and we are getting updates on a daily basis,” a senior official
of the society said today.

“The situation is alarming in Jharkhand. Samples of
dead crows from Jharkhand sent to Bhopal for laboratory tests were found
infected with strains of H5N1 virus. This confirmed outbreak of avian influenza
in Jharkhand,” the official added.

Patna civil surgeon Dr Lakhendra Prasad said he has
asked all primary health centres and other hospitals in the district to maintain
a daily record of any unusual bird death."

Thursday, December 22, 2011

" Doctors here have advised those prone to infection -- such as the elderly and
children -- to get flu vaccinations, following reports of a bird flu outbreak in
Hong Kong.

However, doctors added there is no cause for
alarm.

They said the risk of the H5N1 virus making its way to Singapore
is relatively low.

Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday raised their bird
flu alert to "serious" and culled some 17,000 chickens as a precautionary
measure.

Doctors in Singapore said the bird flu would only be brought to
Singapore through human carriers, or through migratory birds.

Although
migratory birds have not posed a problem in previous instances, doctors advise
Singaporeans not to be complacent.

Raffles Hospital's infectious diseases
specialist Leong Hoe Nam said: "I would also, in addition, recommend people to
go for flu vaccination, especially those who are immuno-compromised, those with
chronic illnesses, those who are 60-65 years of age, and young children -- it's
about preventing the common influenza."

Dr Leong said there are enough
flu jabs in Singapore to meet demand.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) added
it has a healthy stockpile of H5N1 vaccine."

" Significant increase in number of leptospirosis casesTHERE
have been three reported deaths from leptospirosis so far this
year.

Senior Medical Officer of Health for the North, Dr. Karen Springer,
revealed that in total there have been 41 cases of the disease – the highest
number since 1999. This figure is up from 12 cases recorded last year, with no
resulting deaths.

Dr. Springer’s comments came during a press briefing on
the status of leptospirosis in this country at the Ministry of Health’s Culloden
Road headquarters yesterday morning.

“The number of deaths is in keeping
with what we would expect, but the number of cases is certainly [not] what we
would normally expect. The majority of our cases are in the 20 to 60 age group,
and the majority of our cases are male – 84 per cent of our cases are male,” she
told the media.

Springer also noted that in terms of geographical
distribution, the majority of cases that have been recorded are in the St.
Michael, Christ Church, St. James and St. Thomas areas. In terms of occupation,
she said data has only been provided on 24 of the 41 confirmed cases, and it
suggests that half of those persons are engaged in outdoor occupations such as
farming, gardening or landscaping."

" All 1,600 Influenza A (H5N1) tests conducted by the Veterinary Department on poultry samples this year came back negative, Health director general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said today.
He also said no cases involving humans have been detected in the country to date.

Hasan said Malaysia had since 2006 also implemented its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (NIPPP).

As such, Hasan urged the public to not worry, in light of the recent outbreak of H5N1 reported in Hong Kong earlier this week.

"The virus can be only be transmitted to humans who are in contact with the infected poultry," he said adding that Hong Kong health authorities have taken measures to curb the outbreak.

"There has so far been no human to human infection reported in Hong Kong," he said."

" A university in the eastern province of Jiangsu has reported 13 tuberculosis cases among its students, local authorities said Thursday.

From Dec. 2 to 19, 13 students in the eastern campus of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, based in the city of Zhenjiang, were confirmed to have been infected with tuberculosis, said Lin Feng, head of the city's health bureau.

Health and disease control departments of the city have made quarantine and preventive measures to cut its spread, Lin said.

According to Lin, tuberculosis, a common kind of respiratory infectious disease, is easily caught in fall and winter, especially in schools and universities where many people gather.

Wu Honghui, an official on disease control with the Health Department of Jiangsu, said more cases, but not a large number, may be reported, and treatment for the disease may take six to nine months."

" The spokesperson of TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital (WTSH) made the following update today (December 22) regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of Clostridium Difficile toxin cases in a tuberculosis and chest ward:

One more 88-year-old male patient in the ward has presented with diarrhoea symptoms. The test result of the patient concerned was positive for Clostridium Difficile toxin. He is being treated under isolation and is in stable condition.

Admission to the respective ward has been suspended and restricted visiting to the area has also been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance."

" The Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt has notified WHO of a case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.‪The case is a 29-year-old male from Dakahlia Governorate. He developed symptoms on 8 December 2011 and was admitted to hospital on 15 December 2011, where he received oseltamivir treatment. He was in critical condition and died on 19 December 2011.

The case was confirmed by the Central Public Health Laboratories, a National Influenza Centre of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network on 18 December 2011.

Investigations into the source of infection indicated that the case had exposure to backyard poultry.Of the 156 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 54 have been fatal."

The World Organisation for Animal Health received follow-up report no. 36 yesterday, 21 December. The causal agent has been identified as H5N1 virus and all four outbreaks took place at commercial poultry farms located in Dhaka and Khulna.

According to the report, a total of 14984 birds were found susceptible to the outbreaks, out of which 1257 cases were identified, indicating a 100 per cent apparent case fatality rate (meaning all 1257 affected birds were found dead). A total of 13727 birds were destroyed."

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

" Thirteen CRPF personnel died and 11 others became seriously ill due to dengue and malaria in Naxal-hit states in the past 10 months, Rajya Sabha was informed.

Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh said adequate preventive measures are being taken for the safety of the force from these diseases.

Singh said apart from other measures, a clear cut plan has been made and kept at each unit for casualty evacuation in case of emergency.

It consists of details of the nearest hospitals, their phone numbers, distance, stretcher etc. Also, the men have been trained to rise to any emergency situation for early evacuation of seriously ill patients."

" The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, yesterday (December 20) announced that a chicken carcass sample taken from the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market (Wholesale Poultry Market) was tested positive of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus during regular surveillance of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).

Staff from AFCD found the concerned chicken carcass sample from the Wholesale Poultry Market yesterday morning. The Government is tracing the source of the chicken carcass. It is not certain at this stage whether the chicken came from local farm or was imported.

In view of the finding of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in the local wholesale poultry market, the Government has raised the response level for avian influenza from "Alert" to "Serious".

Dr Chow convened a meeting of the Steering Committee on Avian Influenza last night, which decided to implement a series of measures to prevent the spread of the virus and to protect public health.

Measures by the Administration include the following:

(1) The Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation declared the Wholesale Poultry Market as an infected place. AFCD will cull all poultry in this market, which amounted to more than 17,000 in total number, in the morning of December 21. The Wholesale Poultry Market will be closed until January 12, 2012.

(2) Local farms are stopped from dispatching chickens to the market for 21 days. During the period, AFCD would step up inspection on local farms and collect more samples for tests in order to monitor if any of the local farms is infected. AFCD had inspected all 30 chicken farms in Hong Kong yesterday and no abnormality had been detected so far. AFCD would continue to step up inspection on local farms in the coming few days and conduct virus tests for chickens.

(3) Imports of live poultry including day-old chicks would be suspended for 21 days. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has notified the Mainland authorities of the case. The relevant inspection and quarantine bureaux have been requested to stay alert and take all necessary precautions to prevent avian influenza in registered live poultry farms which supply Hong Kong with poultry. The Mainland authorities indicated that no abnormality has been detected from the registered live poultry farms.

(4) The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) would request all live poultry retail outlets to be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected to prevent the virus from growing and accumulating in the environment. Prohibition of overnight stocking of live poultry at all retail outlets has been implemented since 2008. As such, no live poultry was kept after 8pm last night at the retail level. In other words, there would be no live chicken supply at the retail level during the closure of the Wholesale Poultry Market.

(5) The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) would contact poultry wholesalers and workers in the Wholesale Poultry Market as well as local chicken farmers to follow up on their health condition. The Hospital Authority (HA) has prepared for contingency response measures. CHP and HA have also urged doctors and public hospitals to report any suspected case of avian influenza.

(6) The Administration has stepped up cleansing and biosecurity measures in the Hong Kong Wetland Park, and has also contacted the World Wild Fund Hong Kong requesting them to step up their biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of avian influenza in Mai Po Nature Reserve.

Dr Chow said recent detection of H5N1 virus in local wild birds indicated that the disease remained a threat to our community.

"It is unfortunate that an avian influenza case is detected before the Winter Solstice, necessitating a halt to the supply of live chickens. I understand that it will cause inconvenience to the public, and the poultry trade will also encounter losses. However, to safeguard public health, we need to adopt decisive and effective measures to prevent and control the spread of the virus," Dr Chow said.

Dr Chow called for concerted effort from the community to guard against avian flu. Members of the public should strictly observe personal and environmental hygiene, and stay away from dead birds, avoid contact with wild birds, live poultry and their droppings. Members of the public should consult their doctors for medical advice promptly if they have fever or flu symptoms.

Dr Chow noted the incident has reflected the effectiveness of the Government's established surveillance on avian influenza virus. Such effective surveillance has enabled contingency measures to be taken swiftly."

" The spokesperson for Tung Wah Hospital (TWH) made the following announcement today (December 20):

A 74-year-old male patient was admitted to the Surgical Ward of TWH on November 26 for terminal hepatocellular carcinoma. He was confirmed as a carrier of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) on December 17. The patient passed away on December 19 at TWH due to his underlying medical illness.

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened inpatients who were in close contact with the index patient in the same period. So far six inpatients (four male and two female, aged 71 to 87) have tested positive as VRE carriers. They are now under medical surveillance and isolation. The hospital will continue the screening process.

The hospital has stepped up infection control measures in the ward according to established guidelines. The relevant ward environment and equipment have also been disinfected."

" About 50 inmates of a major prison in the southern Philippines have been hospitalized following a diarrhea outbreak blamed on ill-prepared and contaminated food, prison and health officials said today.

Some 49 detainees of the Davao Penal Colony in Dujali town, in the southern province of Davao del Norte were rushed to various hospitals after complaining of severe stomach pain, loose bowel, and over a dozen have lost consciousness, said assistant prison superintendent Gerardo Padilla.

Padilla said inmates started falling ill Sunday after eating catered food sold into the facility, and that 12 prisoners were still at a regional government hospital undergoing treatment in the provincial capital city of Tagum as of today.

Elmer Derla, the prison doctor, said they were conducting an investigation to determine what really caused the diarrhea outbreak, and stool samples from the victims were being subjected to laboratory examination."

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating a confirmed case of invasive meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons, and has appealed to the public for vigilance.

The case involves a 28-year-old man, with good past health, living alone in Sham Shui Po.

The man travelled to Macau on December 17. He developed fever, headache and vomiting on December 19.

He was admitted to Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital on December 19. He was transferred to Caritas Medical Centre and admitted in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit on the same day.

A lumbar puncture specimen taken from the patient grew Neisseria meningitidis. The man is now in serious condition.

The CHP's investigation is continuing.

This is the eighth confirmed case of meningococcal infection this year. Two cases each were reported in 2010 and 2009. No case was reported in 2008."

" While the mosquito-borne dengue virus is thought to have subsided substantially following the onset of winter, one more patient suffering from dengue haemorrhagic fever died last week at a government hospital, raising the death toll to 18 across the province.

According to the details released by the provincial focal person of the dengue surveillance cell on Monday, the 56-year-old woman, resident of a locality near Kati Pahari, Qasba Colony, was admitted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital on Dec 10.

" Bangladesh's authorities have culled nearly 14,000 chickens and destroyed about 50,000 eggs since this season's first outbreak of bird flu was detected last month, an official said Tuesday.

The government's bird flu control room official told Xinhua that "some 13,727 chickens were culled since its resurrection last month."

Fresh outbreak of bird flu was detected in Bangladesh in the second week of November with arrival of winter season.

Ataur Rahman, assistant director at the control room of Fisheries and Live Stock Department, said some 12,762 chickens were culled in two commercial farms in central Manikganj and western Rajbarbi districts.

He said some 965 birds, including 400 at the latest on Monday, were culled in two flu-hit farms so far this month. "A total of 44, 756 eggs were also destroyed since the first outbreak in mid November," he added."

" The spokesperson for Kowloon Hospital (KH) made the following update today (December 20) regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of Clostridium Difficile toxin cases in a female rehabilitation ward.

One more patient, aged 80, in the ward has presented with diarrhoea symptoms. The test results of the patient concerned were positive for Clostridium Difficile toxin. She is being treated under isolation and is in stable condition. In addition, four patients, aged 50 to 79, in a male rehabilitation ward have presented with diarrhoea symptoms since December 17. The test results of the patients concerned were positive for Clostridium Difficile toxin. They are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.

Admissions to the two wards have been suspended. Restricted visiting to the wards has also been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the wards concerned are under close surveillance."

" A strange disease has hit inhabitants of the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, near Kumasi, 270 km north of the capital, claiming two lives, health officials said here on Monday.

Director of Public Health Dr. Joseph Amankwa told Xinhua that the disease, which had been identified as Laffa viral hemorrhagic fever, and had symptoms similar to those of malaria, caused victims to bleed to death.

Dr. Amankwa said he received information about the infection over the weekend but indicated that no other details were made available.

"We are sending a team to the affected area to verify what the actual situation is to determine our next action. We are also liaising with the World Health Organization to gather enough data on the infections and soon information will be sent out to the public," he said.

According to reports carried by local Joy fm radio station, the disease was the first of its kind in the country."

Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection had a busy day today. One of the many press releases from them. This one with regards to H5 positive magpie robin, excerpt :

" Preliminary testing of a dead Oriental magpie robin found in Tin Shui Wai has returned a positive result for the H5 avian influenza virus, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (December 20), adding that further confirmatory tests are being conducted.

The bird's carcass was found and collected at Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long), 5 Tin Wu Road, Tin Shui Wai, on December 17. The Oriental magpie robin is a common resident bird in Hong Kong.

The AFCD has reminded the school to step up cleansing and disinfection.

The spokesman said that two chicken farms are within 3 kilometres of where the bird was found. AFCD staff inspected the farms and found no abnormal mortality or symptoms of avian influenza among the chicken flocks. These farms will be put under enhanced surveillance.

In view of the case, the AFCD has phoned poultry farmers to remind them to strengthen precautionary and biosecurity measures against avian influenza. Letters have been issued to farmers, pet bird shop owners and licence holders of pet poultry and racing pigeons reminding them that proper precautions must be taken.

The spokesman said the department would conduct frequent inspections of poultry farms and the wholesale market to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented. The department will continue its wild bird monitoring and surveillance."

Monday, December 19, 2011

" SA Health has issued a public health alert about the highly infectious measles virus following a confirmed case in South Australia this week.
SA Health's chief medical officer Professor Paddy Phillips said the 22-year-old girl from metropolitan Adelaide most likely acquired the virus while overseas.

"Measles is highly contagious among people who are not fully immunised, and is spread through coughing and sneezing," he said.

"The illness begins with fever, cough, runny nose, and sore eyes, followed by a rash which begins on the head and then spreads down the body. Complications of measles can be severe."

" A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (December 19) that a Black-headed gull found in Yuen Long was confirmed to be H5N1 positive after a series of laboratory tests.

The sick wild bird was found and collected at Chiu Lut Sau Memorial Secondary School, 7 Tai Yuk Road, Yuen Long, on December 13. The bird died the next day. The black-headed gull is a common winter visitor.

The AFCD will continue to conduct inspections of poultry farms and the wholesale market to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented.

Friday, December 16, 2011

" An individual at Lincoln High School was recently diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and may have exposed a limited number of students, faculty, and staff to the disease, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reported today.

HHSA is working closely with the San Diego Unified School District to notify those who may have come in contact with the exposed individual. The period of exposure is from Sept. 6, 2011 to Dec. 6, 2011.

"Most people who are exposed to TB do not develop the disease," says Dr. Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County Public Health Officer. "TB can be treated and cured

The affected students, faculty, and staff who may have been exposed will be notified by school officials and should go to their primary care physician to be tested. If individuals do not have a primary care physician they can go to a County Public Health or TB Clinic for testing.

San Diego Unified School District is offering no-cost testing for affected students, faculty, and staff at Lincoln High School located at 4777 Imperial Ave in San Diego on Jan. 31, 2012."

" The spokesperson for Kowloon Hospital (KH) made the following announcement today (December 16):

Three female patients aged 71 to 94 in the rehabilitation ward have presented with diarrhoea since December 10. The test results of the patients were positive for the Clostridium Difficile toxin. They are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.

Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visits to the ward have been imposed. Infection control measures have been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance.

The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for follow up."

" A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said today (December 16) that the specimen taken from a 48-year-old woman who touched a sick bird had yielded negative results for influenza A virus with all subtypes, including H5, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

The woman picked up the sick bird with her bare hands and without wearing a face mask on December 13. The bird later died and tested positive for H5 avian influenza virus. The woman developed fever, sore throat and diarrhoea on December 14. She was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) yesterday for isolation and laboratory testing. Tests on her specimen taken yesterday yielded negative results for influenza A virus with all subtypes by PCR.

Tests for other viruses are being done by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB).

PHLSB is now proceeding with tests of the specimen taken from the woman's 11-year-old son; results are pending. Her son was also admitted to PMH yesterday for isolation and laboratory test as a precautionary measure. He had recovered from fever and cough earlier this week.

" A Hong Kong school was closed on Friday after a dead bird found in the southern Chinese city was tested positive for the deadly H5 strain of the bird flu virus, health officials said.

The closure came after the school clerk, a 48-year-old woman, picked up a sick black-headed gull at the school on Tuesday, which died the next day and was tested positive for the H5 strain, a health department spokesman told AFP.

She picked up the bird - a common winter visitor - without any protection and developed a fever, sore throat and diarrhoea but has tested negative for Influenza A (H5), a variant of bird flu.

'She has been cleared in the medical results we received today but tests on her 11-year-old son are still ongoing, with results expected to be released later Friday,' said the spokesman."

" The Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt has notified WHO of two cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.‬‪The two cases are a mother and her young child from Dakahlia Governorate. Both developed symptoms on 26 November 2011.‬‪The mother was admitted to a Hospital on 1 December 2011 and received oseltamivir on admission. The child was hospitalised on 2 December 2011 and received oseltamivir on admission. The mother was 24 weeks pregnant. She died on 3 December 2011. The child is in stable condition.‬‪Investigations into the source of infection indicate that both cases had exposure to sick and dead backyard poultry (chicken and turkeys).‬‪The case was confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories, a National Influenza Centre of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network, on 3 December 2011.‬‪Of the 155 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 53 have been fatal."‬‪

" Erratic water supply that has affected the southern region district of Chikhwawa during the last two months has resulted in the area recording an unprecedented number of cholera incidents, officials have said.

Since the start of rainy season, the district has recorded 58 cases of cholera out of the national statistics of 59, Ministry of Health Spokesperson Henry Chimbali said.

Chimbali said government had this year put in place exceptional interventions for cholera prevention that have helped to drastically reduce the number of cholera cases across the country.

“This year we really prepared to deal with cholera thorough the interventions that had been put in place and we indeed are managing to control it,” said Chimbali.

The cases in Chikhwawa were mainly recorded around the Boma because that is where the problem of water shortage hit hard and so far no death has been reported. The other case has been recorded in Blantyre."

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 virus has dramatically spread throughout Southeast Asia since its first detection in 1997. Merit Release Birds, such as the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, are believed to increase one's positive karma when kissed and released during Buddhist rituals. Since these birds are often in close contact with both poultry and humans, we investigated their potential role in the spread of H5N1 virus.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Seven series of experiments were conducted in order to investigate the possible interactions between inoculated and exposed birds, including sparrow/sparrow, sparrow/chicken, duck/sparrow. Daily and post-mortem samples collected were tested for H5N1 virus by real-time RT-PCR and egg inoculation. When directly inoculated, Eurasian Tree Sparrows were highly susceptible to the H5N1 virus, with a fatality rate approaching 100% within 5 days post-inoculation. Although transmission of fatal infection between sparrows did not occur, seroconversion of the exposed birds was observed. Up to 100% chickens exposed to inoculated sparrows died of H5N1 infection, depending on the caging conditions of the birds, while a fatality rate of 50% was observed on sparrows exposed to infected ducks. Large quantities of H5N1 virus were detected in the sparrows, particularly in their feathers, from which infectious particles were recovered.

Conclusions/Significance

Our study indicates that under experimental conditions, Eurasian Tree Sparrows are susceptible to H5N1 infection, either by direct inoculation or by contact with infected poultry. Their ability to transmit H5N1 infection to other birds is also demonstrated, suggesting that the sparrows may play a role in the dissemination of the virus. Finally, the presence of significant quantities of H5N1 virus on sparrows' feathers, including infectious particles, would suggest that Merit Release Birds represent a risk for human contamination in countries where avian influenza virus is circulating and where this religious ritual is practiced."

" The death toll from the illicit liquor disaster in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal has risen to 121, while 100 are being treated of poisoning in hospitals, said local media reports.

Most of the victims are poor rickshaw pullers, laborers and hawkers, who reported sick after consuming the liquor, also known as hooch in a village Tuesday night in some illegal liquor dens near Sangrampur railway station in South 24 Parganas district, according to the reports.

"So far 121 people have died," district police superintendent L. N. Meena was quoted as saying by Indo-Asian News Service.

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating a confirmed case of meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons, and has appealed to the public for vigilance.

The case involves a 27-year-old man, with good past health, living in Wan Chai.

The man travelled to Hokkaido, Japan, from December 4 to 8. He complained of fever, diarrhoea, chills and rigor since December 10.

He sought medical consultation at St Paul's Hospital on December 11. He was transferred to Ruttonjee Hospital and was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit on the same day.

A blood specimen taken from the patient grew Neisseria meningitidis. The man is now in serious condition.

The CHP's investigation is continuing.

This is the seventh confirmed case of meningococcal infection this year. Two cases each were reported in 2010 and 2009. No case was reported in 2008."

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

" A CHILD was today recovering in hospital following an outbreak of a potentially deadly strain of meningitis at a primary school.

The head teacher of Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School, Newhall, has issued a warning to parents and pupils following the case of meningococcal septicaemia, a blood poisoning form of the virus, also known as Ctype meningitis.

Clare Hodson-Walker confirmed one of her pupils was in hospital undergoing treatment.

The school, which has more than 200 children, immediately sought advice and guidance from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on how to deal with the outbreak.

Ms Hodson-Walker told the Mail: “I can confirm that a child is currently in hospital with meningitis. The school acted quickly to get official and appropriate information out to all parents and carers.
“This contained helpful information about the signs and symptoms to be aware of.

“Those people who are at a slightly higher risk, such as immediate family, have already been identified by the HPA and have been given precautionary antibiotics. Children in school are at no greater risk.

“We remain in close contact with the HPA and continue to follow their advice regarding the situation. We have also sought additional advice from the Meningitis Research Foundation and sent this to parents and carers.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the child and their family at this very difficult time and we ask everyone for their understanding."

" Swarms of dengue mosquitoes have been discovered at seven schools in Al-Sharayeh District. The infestation at male and female schools is believed to have been caused by poor maintenance of water coolers and toilets.

The Makkah Mayoralty has called on principals to fix the problem right away to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever. However a source told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that “male and female students at some of these schools have got fever and symptoms similar to those of dengue fever”.

The discovery was made by the mayoralty’s dengue fever teams who were paying a routine visit to the school to spray insecticides. However, when they tested water coolers they discovered small worms of dengue mosquitoes in the water.

The teams are now urging all schools to clean and sterilize water coolers once every two weeks.

The head of hygiene and cleaning, Saleh Ezzat, said: “The insecticides are effective for three months and Health Affairs registered only two cases of dengue fever during the previous period."

" The Salmonella outbreak in Corinth has now been pinned on a single restaurant, so there is no threat to the general public in northeast Mississippi, the state health department advises.

But the Don Julio Mexican Restaurant in Corinth, MS is closed indefinitely after 59 of its customers and employees have returned cultures positive for Salmonella.

"Our investigation has shown that the incident does not appear to be a food producer or supplier issue," Dr. Jessie R. Taylor, the Northeast Mississippi District health officer, said in a news release. "It appears to be an isolated problem with this particular restaurant, and the restaurant is working closely with us to correct the problem."

Fear that multiple restaurants and/or a food producer or supplier might be responsible for the outbreak rose last week when Magnolia Regional Health Center began filling up with people with symptoms of Salmonella infection.

As more people became ill, state and district health officials moved into the town of 1,500, which sits near the Mississippi-Tennessee border, to conduct tests and food-history interviews.

Before the Mississippi State Department of Health concluded that only one restaurant was responsible, some feared multiple sources might be involved because the illnesses were so widespread."

" The report on the death of Asia Archibald, who succumbed to dengue, was submitted to the Ministry of Health last week. Chairman of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Dr Ashvin Sharma confirmed this yesterday at a public board meeting at The Auditorium, La Joya Complex, St Joseph. Efforts to contact Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan were futile.

Sharma listed the achievements, goals, plans and negative findings since the board’s appointment in November last year.

Archibald, eight, died in August from the deadly dengue virus. She was discharged from the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), but fell seriously ill hours after. An investigation into her death was subsequently launched. While he listed plans for next month’s sod-turning ceremony for two chemo-dialysis centres at San Fernando General Hospital and the EWMSC, Sharma also noted Archibald’s death."

" Novartis's new cell-culture based influenza vaccine factory in North Carolina
has begun making a prepandemic H5N1 flu vaccine and is ready to start producing
vaccines for a real pandemic when needed, the company and federal health
officials announced yesterday.

The facility in Holly Springs, N.C., billed as the first of its
kind in the United States, was dedicated yesterday after a long testing process.

As part of the testing, last week the plant produced two lots of
"prepandemic" H5N1 flu vaccine for the Strategic National Stockpile, and another
lot will be completed this week, for a total of 6.5 million doses, said Liz
Power, a spokeswoman for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Cambridge, Mass.

"The dedication signals that in an influenza pandemic the facility
can produce cell-based influenza vaccine that could be authorized by the US Food
and Drug Administration for use during the emergency," the US Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a press release.

Dr. Robin Robinson, director of HHS's Biomedical Advanced Research
and Development Authority (BARDA), called the plant's dedication "a major
milestone" in national pandemic preparedness. "Today we're marking the first
change in influenza vaccine manufacturing in the United States in 50 years," he
said in the release.

Cell-based vaccine production involves growing flu viruses in
mammalian cell cultures instead of in chicken eggs, the conventional method. It
is regarded as more flexible and somewhat faster than egg-based production. No
cell-based flu vaccine has yet been approved by the FDA, though such vaccines,
including one made by Novartis, are licensed in Europe.

In a flu pandemic, the Novartis plant may be able to produce up to
25% of the vaccine doses needed in the United States, HHS said. The facility is
designed to produce 150 million doses of a monovalent vaccine within 6 months
after declaration of a pandemic, according to Power."

" AN earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit Papua New Guinea this afternoon, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The tremor struck at a depth of 75 miles (121km), about 137 miles (221km) north-northwest of the capital Port Moresby at 3.05pm local time.

Witnesses in Port Moresby told AFP that people came running out of buildings, power lines swayed and parked cars rocked.

"It was pretty strong. Everybody felt it. I was siting in my car when it hit and it was rocking, rocking, rocking," an AFP photographer said.

According to Geoscience Australia, the tremor was not expected to create a tsunami.

"It's not tsunamigenic," seismologist Clive Collins said. "That's the assessment on the basis that it's about 20 kilometers [12 miles] inshore and also it's about 120 kilometers [74 miles] deep and that's too deep really to cause any tsunami problems."

" A 45-year-old woman has died of dengue, taking the toll due to the mosquito-borne
disease this season to seven, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi said on
Tuesday.

According to MCD officials, Nurjahan, a resident of Batla House, was
admitted to AIIMS on December 1 and died four days later. "She was diagnosed
with dengue," said Dr V K Monga, chairman, MCD health
committee.

Occurrence of dengue deaths even after winter has set in
is a matter of concern, Monga said. "The toll due to dengue has gone up to seven
this year. The total count of dengue cases in the city is 1,120," he said."

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

" Scientists have for the first time discovered a part of our immune system
that is involved in getting rid of dengue viruses, and also determines a
person's ability to fight off the disease. Worldwide, dengue fever
strikes roughly 50 million people every year and takes the lives of thousands,
but specific therapies or a vaccine for this
mosquito-borne illness remain
unavailable.

Today, 2.5 billion people are at risk from dengue fever and
from dengue hemorrhagic fever, a lethal complication of infection. Despite the
high infection
rates, there are currently no specific treatments for dengue fever and no
vaccine to prevent infection with the dengue virus.

Many
scientists who study the disease have been searching for ways to boost the human
immune response to dengue so that it does not gain a foothold in the body.

Researchers from Washington University, Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research and the University of Copenhagen,
Denmark, report a new finding that a part of the immune system called
mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is involved in targeting dengue viruses for
destruction.

MBL recognizes sugar molecules present on the outsides of
many different kinds of viruses and bacteria. When it finds these sugars, MBL
activates the complement system, which targets foreign materials in the body for
destruction in any of a number of cruel ways. Scientists have known that the
complement system takes a hit during dengue infection, but until now no one knew
that it also plays a role in getting rid of dengue viruses."

" DHARAMSHALA : The World Organisation for Animal Health issued an
alert on a reported outbreak of bird flu in a village in Tibet
Monday.

The Paris-based organisation cited a notification from China’s
Ministry of Agriculture while confirming the deadly outbreak.

Chinese
authorities found highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds in the village of
Sangda near Tibet’s ancient capital city of Lhasa, according to the
organisation. The current outbreak of bird flu has killed 290 birds and another
1,575 fowls were culled, according to the notice.

Repeated outbreaks of
bird flu in Tibet have been reported over the years. In 2008, an outbreak of the
highly pathogenic avian influenza, which could be fatal to human beings, was
reported around the same area. Over 8000 fowls were subsequently culled. In
2009, after authorities found strains of the H5N1 virus in poultry sold at a
wholesale market in Lhasa, over 1600 birds were destroyed."

" Indonesia has received two first ever isolation rooms from the World Health Organization (WHO), which can help cure and prevent the spread of infection diseases, including bird flu.

The facilities were set up as the threat of avian influenza and other infectious diseases still existed in the vast archipelago country, whose number of H5N1 case was the highest in the world with fatality rate of nearly 100 percent partly caused by delayed diagnosis and improper treatment.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying on Tuesday that the newly developed airborne infection isolation facilities with negative pressure in Tangerang Regional Hospital in Tangerang, Banten, and in Persahabatan Hospital in Jakarta, were specifically designed to help contain avian influenza outbreaks in the country that could reduce the fatality.

"By developing such airborne infection isolation rooms, we hope that hospitals can offer better treatment for patients infected by the virus so that we can reduce bird flu-related deaths," she said on the sidelines of a ceremony to hand over the two isolation rooms from the WHO to the ministry in Tangerang on Monday.

Indonesia has been hit by bird flu since 2005. The disease has developed slowly in recent years, but the threat remains. The case has killed 150 people out of 182 cases, the largest number in the world, according to Endang."

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 13) called on the public to stay vigilant against infection by community-associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterium.

The appeal followed the CHP's investigation into a confirmed case of invasive CA-MRSA involving an 80-year-old woman living in Kowloon City.

The woman, with good past health, presented with left knee pain and swelling for one month. She was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on November 28. The hospital confirmed the diagnosis of septic arthritis of her left knee and arthrotomy and drainage of her left knee was performed on November 30.

The pus collected from the patient grew MRSA. She is currently in stable condition in hospital.

She has no recent travel history. Her home contact did not have symptoms of CA-MRSA infection.

MRSA is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. It is a common infection worldwide."

" Residents of Ghurmi Bazaar, Udayapur, have become fearful that bird flu has hit
the area after a mysterious disease claimed more than 1,000 chickens at
different poultry farms here in the last few days.

According to Tilak
Shrestha, a local, chickens first started dying at the poultry farms belonging
to Hira Tamang and Lekh Bahadur Magar in Lekhani VDC-2, Ghurmi, three days ago,
which later spread to other poultries in the village. “As the death of fowls in
such great numbers had never happened in our village, we fear it is due to bird
flu,” he said, adding that villagers have now stopped selling and eating chicken
here.

Meanwhile, though the District Livestock Health Office had guessed
the disease was Ranikhet, diagnosis is yet to be confirmed.

As the
disease could not be diagnosed at the Regional Livestock Health Office in
Biratnagar, sample of dead chickens have been sent to Kathmandu to establish the
cause behind the death of fowls, said Dev Narayan Singh, chief at DLHO.

There are about 1000 chicken farmers in Udayapur. Following death of
chickens in such large numbers, its export to Khotang, Okhaldhunga and
Solukhumbu have been banned."

Monday, December 12, 2011

" Doctors have assured patients at national Tuberculosis Hospital, Kibong’oto
in Kilimanjaro Region that the newly received drugs are made up of the same
compounds as those they were taking before.

The assurance comes after this paper was told by
some patients that the medicines were too strong for them.

But when reached for comment the National TB and
Leprosy, Programme Manager, Dr Saidi Egwaga said the medicines were of very good
quality and that hey have been approved by the World Health Organisation
(WHO).

“They are same as those they used to take. They
are accepted worldwide,” he said.

When told that patients were complaining that the
medicines were too strong for them, Dr Egwaga said the issue of whether the
medicine is strong or not is a matter that should be discussed between the
patient and his/her doctor."

" Mexican scientist, National Polytechnic Institute (IPN),
Abimael Cruz Migoni discovered the toxin that causes melioidosis, which is a
step toward developing a vaccine or drug against this disease that causes high
mortality in Asia.

Melioidosis is an
infection produced by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei and its acute form
affects the lungs and causes from mild bronchitis to necrotizing pneumonia.

When the disease spreads through the body,
is mortal. The finding of a graduate of the IPN is important because so far
there is no effective treatment. Asia has a high rate of deaths, and are
comparable to the number-causing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and
tuberculosis. FIND. Abimael Cruz, who performs a post-doctoral work at the
Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds, England, said the
discovery of the toxin was recorded when conducting studies on structural
proteins in the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, causing melioidosis.

In
recent days, the journal Science published the finding. The scientist graduated
from the Interdisciplinary Professional Unit Biotechnology (UPIBI) and the
Centre for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV), clarified that the toxin
showed that it is one of the weapons powerful forces to account Burkholderia
pseudomallei, but not only, because by removing the gene that encodes the
bacteria is causing the disease."